Never Empty-Handed: Yuyi Morales on the Stories, the Pain, and the Hope We Carry

The Reading Culture

In This Episode

• "It is through these books and through this work that I'm doing that I hope that I can be a worthy companion of [children's] journeys, because they have a lot of journeys to go through, and there is nothing more difficult than going through those journeys alone." - Yuyi Morales

Growing up in Mexico in the 60s and 70s, Yuyi Morales wasn’t familiar with children’s books. Instead, she was surrounded by a family of vibrant storytellers, and a mother whose creative side was brought out through her passion to make anything and everything needed around the house. As an adult, Yuyi found herself living in America and learning English, through which she discovered and fell in love with children’s books. A Caldecott Honor recipient and Pura Belpré Award winner, today, Yuyi merges her youth and experience in America to create magical, colorful, and entirely original picture books.

***

Keep up with Jordan and The Reading Culture podcast on Instagram @thereadingculturepod and Yuyi @yuyimorales

***

In this episode, Yuyi explores her experience as an immigrant to the United States and her constant immigrant journey now that she is living and creating in Mexico. She shares about everything from how her stories helped quell her homesickness to the inspiration for her more recent picture books (including this picture that she references in the show). Notably, Yuyi tells us about how she embraces the magical influences in her storytelling, and her secret to finding joy in every crevice of life, no matter the starting point.

This episode's Beanstack featured librarian is Pam Hamlin, a Family Literacy Specialist at Prince George's County Memorial Library System in Maryland. She has a message for parents and teachers of young children.

As with all episodes, our author guest creates a unique reading challenge that is available on Beanstack and also at thereadingculturepod.com. Listen to the episode to learn more about Yuyi Morales’ reading challenge, Migration Stories.

Contents

Chapter 1 - The Blue Elephant (2:46)

Chapter 2 - Baby on the Roof (8:09)

Chapter 3 - El Ahogado Más Hermoso del Mundo (11:01)

Chapter 4 - From Mexico to the United States, and back again (20:38)

Chapter 5 - Dreamers (24:34)

Chapter 6 - The Secret to Joy (32:23)

Chapter 7 - Migration Stories (35:46)

Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (37:29)

Show Links

• The Reading Culture podcast homepage: thereadingculturepod.com
• Yuyi Morales: https://yuyimorales.com
• Yuyi’s Books: http://yuyimorales.com/catalogue/?page_id=1867
• The Reading Culture pod on Instagram (for giveaways and extra content): https://instagram.com/thereadingculturepod
• Yuyi Morales on Instagram: https://instagram.com/yuyimorales
• Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading culture: Beanstack
• Pam Hamlin’s home library (PGCMLS): https://www.pgcmls.info/
• The Children’s Book Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-childrens-book-podcast/
  
  

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media

Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey